Combined filling and dispensing valve for volatile liquids



Aprnl 10, 1951 a. COURTOT 2,548,352

COMBINED FILLING AND DISPENSING VALVE FOR VOLATILE LIQUIDS FiIed Jan. 29, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lull-III" INVENTOR. Louis B. Courtot 7' ORNEVS Patented Apr. 10, 1951 UNITED I STATES PATENT OFFICE COIWBINED FILLING AND DISPENSING VALVE FOR VOLATILE LIQUIDS Louis B. Courtot, Cleveland, Ohio, assignor to The -Weatherhead Company, Cleveland,,0l1io, a corporation of Ohio Application January 29, 1949, Serial No. 73,52'7' This invention relates to filling and dispensing valves for tanks containing volatile liquids or gases liquefied under pressure, such as liquefied petroleum gas and the like. In certain installations as where liquefied petroleum gas is stored in dispensing tanks, it is necessary to provide means for each tank that will perform several need for tubes extending into the tank (other than the gauge tube) or complex baflies in the valve body. This is accomplished by a novel and simple arrangement of ports, passageways,

chambers, and the like, in a unitary valve body member, the result being that a single valve assembly may be employed to perform all the aforesaid functions, the device being very compact and economical to manufacture. The device may be fitted to the tank by means of a single fitting, preferably a single-threaded pipe nipple extending from the valve member, which greatly facilitates manufacture and installation.

Another object resides in providing for filling the tank with the volatile liquid or liquefied gas without interrupting the dispensing of the gas and without requiring other than the single tank attachment means referred to. This is accomplished, in a preferredembodiment of the invention, by forming a relatively large filling and dispensing bore concentric with the attachment nipple, the valve unit being mounted so that this bore is vertically disposed. A dispensing port intersects the bore near the upper end thereof for delivery of gas, this port being controlled by a manually operable valve. The filling port intersects the bore below the dispensing port and intersects the bore tangentially. During filling, the gas swirls around the lower periphery of the bore and enters the tank, leaving a central opening for the upward flow of gas to the dispensing" port, there being no tendency for the gas to carry liquid out of the dispensing port.

It is a feature of the invention that a testing gauge tube may extend into the tank through the aforesaid vertical main bore whereby when the valve unit is mounted on the tank by means of the singlefltting member. the gauge tubeis 8 Claims. (01. 62-1) simultaneously fitted thereto. The aforesaid structure facilitates mounting the relief valve on the same unit, which may operate to close another passage intersecting the vertical or main bore above the entry point of the liquid thereto.

. The manner in which the aforesaid objects and advantages are accomplished in the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereto.

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the combination valve unit;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the unit; Fig. 3 is a partial section taken on 33 of Fig.

Fig. 4 is a section taken on 4-4 of Fig. 1, the

. plane of section also being indicated-on Fig. 3

for clarity Fig. 5 is a section of the complete valve unit taken on 5-5 of Fig. 4; and,

Fig. 6 is a partial section similar to Fig. 4 but taken through the center of the testing gauge as indicated on 6-6 of Fig. 3;

The valve unit comprises, in the preferred embodiment, an integral valve body which preferably is arranged so that it may be forged of brass, steel or any other suitable metal. As best seen in Figs. 1 and 3, the nipple N, preferably having pipe threads, forms the means for installing the combined valve unit on a tank. This nipple will be vertical, or substantially so, in actual operation. The other major components of the valve unit are; the dispensing nipple D which is valved and controlled by the handle H.

the filling nipple assembly F for charging the tank with volatile liquid or liquefied gas, the relief valve assembly R for relieving excess vapor pressure from the tank, and the test or fill gauge assembly G for indicating when the tank has been filled to the desired level. v

-Describing the internal arrangements of the valve unit in more detail, within the nipple N is the bore H), which is the main filling and dispensing bore. The upper portion of the bore I0 is intersected by the gas dispensing port II which is normally in communication with an outlet port l2 at right angles thereto which leads to the gas dispensing nipple D. Communication between ports II and I2 may be cut oif by the manually-controlled valve means, which includes movable valve member I 3 carrying a soft seal for engaging the valve seat l4 surrounding the dispensing port I I. The valve member is opened and closed by manipulation of a handle H, and

although the details of the valve-operating structure are not part of the invention, I prefer to provide a compact packless valve such as that described in the co-pending application of Louis B. Courtot, Serial No. 64,573, filed December 10, 1948.

Relief valve assembly R is included in the form by providing a relief bore l5 that intersects the vertical bore I0. It includes movable valve member l6, spring I! for closing the valve, and a retaining nut I8 for retaining the spring. The details of this assembly form no part of the invention and suitable assemblies for the combination are completely described in the application of Andrew G. Johnson, Serial 'No. 785,939, filed November '14, 1947 and Theodore A. St. Clair, Serial No. 58,563, filed November 5, 1948, now Patent No. 2,527,381, either of which suitable for use with the valve unit of this invention.

Filling assembly F is mounted in a laterally offset enlargement 20 of the valve body. It includes abore 2| parallel to main bore Ill and which houses a reciprocably-mounted valve member 22 urged outwardly by a spring 23. The valve member carries a soft seat 26 for sealing the filling port. Valve seat member 21 is threaded in the enlargement 20 by means of threads 28, the lower portion of the member having a hard seat 29 for engaging the soft seat 26 in the movable valve element. Member 21 may have a tapered bore 30 for sealing engagement with a filling nipple, which also may engage a projection in the form of a screw 3| on the movable valve member 22 for opening the valve. member to permit the inlet of the liquid. The outer portion of the enlargement 20 is threaded as at 33 to receive a closure and sealing cap member 34. Leading from a lower portion of bore 2| is a passageway 35, which intersects the, bore as at 35a well below the dispensing ports H and I2. As seen in Fig. 5, passageway 3 5 is disposed tangentially relative to vertical bore 10, the result being that leaving'a more or less well-defined central pas-.,

sageway for the flow of gas upwardly and out of the dispensing port. Thus, service or dispensing oi gas may be continued during the filling op eration without the needfor interrupting either operation.

It is customary to provide means to indicate the liquid level within the tank so that the filling of the tank may be interrupted in time to leave a vapor space above the liquid level. This. may be provided in the invention without materially complicating the structure of the valve unit by incorporating test structure G including a gauge tube 36 that is disposed in the vertical bore l0 and threaded into the valve body above the upper end of the bore at 31. A valve seat 38 is formed about a passageway in communication with the tube 36 and the passageway may be closed by a manually-operable plug member 39 threaded in the body and carrying a soft seal 4|. As seen in Fig. 3 a small bleed passageway 42 leads from an area outside of the valve seat 38 to the surface of the valve. The length of tube 36 below the top of the tank represents the desired vapor space,and during the filling operation plug 39 is unscrewed so that the bleed passage 42 is open to the interior of the tank. When the liquid level reaches the bottom of the tube 35, the vaporpressure. thereupon forces liquid up. into the tube and a small amountjof liquid' is' vis-i ible at the opening 42 signaling the operator to cease filling the tank.

- It can be seen that all the various functions necessary for this service can be carried out by a single valve member having a single attaching nipple, made of a minimum of material, and having minimum over alljdimensions; 'Installation is thereby-greatly simplified and the manufacture is very economical because of the saving in material made possible by the novel arrangement of elements exemplified by the illustr'at'ed embodiment of the invention. The valve body can be readily designed for production by forging or by 'castirigoperations despite the relatively" great number of functions performed by the unit.

although, I have-described a preferred embodimer t of my invention, it will be understood that the appended claims and not the aforesaid embodiment is determinative of the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A filling and dispensing valve for volatile liquids comprising a valve body having a bore and means for mounting said valve on a tank with said bore generally vertically disposed, a liquid filling connection formed in said body to one side of and adjacentthe upper end of said bore,

a straight filling passageway leading downwardly forming an acute angle with the axis of said bore;

connectiofiandi intersecting 'said bore tangen' tially, agas dispensing. outlet intersecting said bore'above the'inter'sec'tionof said filling'passageway and said bore, a valve for closing said gas dispensing outlet, a fill gauge tube extending withinsaid bore and fastened in the upper end wall thereof, and avalve'd testing outletin said body for said gauge tube.

3. A filling and. dispensing valvefor volatile liquids comprising. a valve body having a boreand a nipplsurrounding thesame for mounting said valve on a tank with said bore generally. vertically. disposed, a liquid. filling connection formedin said body, a filling passageway leading downwardly. from said filling 'connection and intersecting said boretangentially, a

gas dispensing outlet intersecting said bore above the intersectionof saidfilling passageway and said bore, a valve for closing said gas dispensing outlet, a fill gauge tube. extending within said bore and fastened in the upper end wall thereof,

and a valvedtesting'outlet in said bodyforsaid' gauge tube.

4. A fillingand dispensing valve for volatile liquids comprising-a valve. body havinga borev and a nipple surrounding the samefor mounting said valve on a tank: with said bore generally vertically disposed, said. body including a lat-I erally ofisetbody portion. parallel to said bore, a

liquid filling connectiomformediin said body off-.-.=

set portion to one side of and adjacent the upper end of said bore, a straight filling passageway leading downwardly and angularly from said filling connection and intersecting said bore adjacent the lower end thereof, the outer wall of said filling passageway being disposed tangentially to the wall of said bore at the intersection therewith, the axis of said passageway forming an acute angle with the axis of said bore, a gas dispensing outlet intersecting said bore above the intersection of said filling passageway and said bore, and a valve for closing said gas dispensing outlet.

5. A filling and dispensing valve for volatile liquids comprising a valve, body having a bore and means for mounting said valve on a tank with said bore generally vertically disposed, a liquid filling connection formed in said body, a filling passageway leading downwardly fromsaid filling connection and intersecting said bore tangentially, a gas dispensing port intersecting said bore above the intersection of said filling passageway and said bore, a generally radially ex tending extension aligned with said port, a valve in said extension for closing said dispensing out-,- let, a dispensing nipple extending generally perpendicular to said bore and to said extension, and passageway means establishing communication between said dispensing nipple and port when said valve is open.

6. A filling and dispensing valve for volatile liquids comprising a valve body having a bore and means for mounting said valve on a tank with said bore generally vertically disposed, said body including a laterally offset body portion parallel to said bore, a liquid filling connection formed in said offset body portion, a filling passageway leading downwardly and angularly from said filling connection and intersecting said bore tangentially, a gas dispensing port intersecting said bore above the intersection of said filling passageway and said bore, a generally radially extending extension aligned with said port, a valve in said extension for closing said dispensing outlet, a dispensing nipple extending generally perpendicular to said bore and to said extension, and .passagewaymeans establishing communication between said dispensing nipple and port when said valve is open.

7. A filling and dispensing valve for volatile liquids comprising a valve body having a bore and means for mounting said valve on a tank with said bore generally vertically disposed, a liquid filling connection formed in said body, a filling passageway leading downwardly from said filling connection and intersecting said bore tangentially, a gas dispensing port intersecting said bore above the intersection-of said filling passageway and said bore, a generally radially extending extension aligned with said port, a valve in said. extension for closing said dispensing outlet, a dispensing nipple extending generally perpendicular to said bore and to said extension, passageway means establishing communication between said dispensing nipple and port when said valve is open, a fill gauge tube extending within said bore and fastened in the upper end wall thereof, and a valved testing outlet in said body for said gauge tube.

8. A filling and dispensing valve for volatile liquids comprising a valve body having a bore and means for mounting said valve on a tank with said bore generally vertically disposed, said body including a laterally offset body portion parallel to saidbore, a liquid filling connection formed in said offset body portion, a filling passageway leading downwardly and angularly from said filling connection and intersecting said bore tangentially, a gas dispensing port intersecting said bore above the intersection. of said filling passageway and said bore, a generally radially extending extension aligned with said port, a valve in said extension for closing said dispensing outlet, a dispensing nipple extending generally perpendicular to said bore and to said extension, passageway means establishing communication between said dispensing nipple and port when said valve is open, a fill gauge tube extending within said bore and fastened in the upper end wall thereof, and a valved testing outlet in said body for said gauge tube.

LOUIS B. COURTOT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,214,713 White Sept. 10, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 24,139 Great Britain Oct. 22, 1912 

